


Ace of Hearts

by GarnetSeren



Category: Destiny (Video Games)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Canon-Typical Violence, F/M, Fix-It of Sorts, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, Friendship/Love, Game: Destiny 2: Forsaken DLC, Getting Together, Getting to Know Each Other, Injury, Male-Female Friendship, Near Death Experiences, Partnership, Pre-Relationship, Trust, do not copy to another site
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-13
Updated: 2021-02-05
Packaged: 2021-03-09 17:54:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 2,563
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27540346
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GarnetSeren/pseuds/GarnetSeren
Summary: Pain. So much pain. The stunt had been reckless and the landing was hard, he knew that. The subsequent beating he'd taken had been harder still. But as he lay staring up at the barrel of his own gun, his body broken probably beyond repair and no hope of survival now his ghost was dead, Cayde couldn't let go of the fact that his partner was still out there. She'd be looking for him, he had no doubt. So he smirked up at the traitor who had the audacity to aim his own gun at his chest, confident that if the universe was going to grant him one more miracle... one more impossible escape from death... it would be her.
Relationships: Cayde-6 & Female Guardian (Destiny), Cayde-6/Female Guardian (Destiny), Cayde-6/Guardian (Destiny)
Comments: 5
Kudos: 46





	1. Chapter 1

Cayde remembered first meeting her, this warlock guardian who'd saved his metal hide more times than he'd like to admit. He remembered watching in disbelief... trapped floating in the stasis field of the time loop... as she calmly stared down the Vex that had been closing in on them, before she'd thrown some sort of void blast at it. She hadn't even watched to make sure it was dead; so confident in her own skills that she'd turned away and walked towards him whilst the Vex exploded behind her. Cayde had known then he was a goner, even without seeing her face or knowing her name. Her cool confidence had him hooked. Of course he'd played it off as professional interest once they'd returned to the Farm, which Zavala must have bought since Calissa Nyx quickly became a living legend amongst their ranks, however Ikora did not. Though shockingly, instead of giving him the riot act about ethics and protocol like Cayde expected, the warlock vanguard had taken to giving him the most infuriatingly smug look whenever Calissa walked in the room. It took Cayde far too long to realise it was because the two women were friends, and longer still for him to realise the warlock he'd been fascinated with was an Awoken. But Traveller! That had been a day to remember.

Walking into the hanger to find Calissa free of her armoured overcoat and helmet, dressed in a simple navy tank top and black pants, elbow deep in engine grease as she helped Amanda fix up a very battered looking sparrow. Cayde remembered being struck by just how pretty she was; her violet hair complimenting her icy mauve skin, luminous turquoise eyes crinkling as her lilac lips curved into a smile as she regarded him. He'd only realised it was his warlock when she'd greeted him, his name sounding like an endearment as it always did in her lilting voice. He'd made excuses to spend time with Calissa after that, no longer happy to just see her in passing during mission briefings... like just happening to be around whenever she sought out Banshee and Hawthorn for a chat, or coincidently being in the bazaar when she went for a drink with Amanda, not to mention always being in the hanger to welcome her back after a mission.

She laughed at his jokes... or at least rolled her eyes almost affectionately whenever he told one... she didn't shy away whenever he slung an arm around her shoulders without thinking, and when Cayde found her at the firing range testing out the hand canon she'd recently adopted, Calissa actually asked him for pointers. That was the first night they'd ever hung out one-on-one and after hours spent shooting targets, Cayde had invited her for a drink. They'd stayed in the bar until closing time, chatting shit and making each other laugh. He'd felt closer to her after that, drawn in further by the soft way Calissa regarded him as they talked and the lingering hug she'd given him at the end of the night. So when a mission arose that required his skills, Cayde knew that there was only one person he wanted watching his back.

“All right partner, this is a Cayde riff in six. Watch me for the changes, and uh... try to keep up,” he drawled, reloading Ace of Spades just for good measure.

Unexpectedly, Calissa's gloved hand caressed along his metal jaw as she leaned closer. “Bold words, Hot Shot. But after getting yourself stuck in a time loop, I'm still waiting to be impressed.”

Cayde couldn't help chuckling at her challenge as she walked away to follow Petra, and took a moment to appreciate the way her armoured overcoat hugged her body before she glanced over her shoulder at him; giving him a wink before donning her helmet. Shaking his head, Cayde hopped over the railing and dropped down to the lower catwalk. He wasn't the type to back down from a challenge and if it was a show Calissa wanted, he'd damn well give her one.


	2. Chapter 2

Not for the first time, Cayde wondered if Calissa remembered she was a warlock and not a titan. Back in the control room he'd watched her cast a healing rift before planting her feet in a wide stance and mowing down the hive that had tried to swarm them with her auto rifle. She was amazing in action and despite frantically trying to get the system operational again, Cayde had found himself distracted several times; just like when he'd been running along the catwalks above her as they stormed the prison ship. He'd caught himself watching Calissa whenever his enemies thinned out enough to allow him, distracted by her when she switch out her auto rifle for the hand canon he'd taught her to wield, before executing a perfect head shot on an enemy who'd been up on his level.

“What a shot! I think I'm going to cry,” he'd called through the comms.

A short while later, Cayde had been distracted by a flash of purple light from her level, and couldn't help watching as Calissa threw a void attack... that he'd recently discovered was called a Nova Bomb... to follow up the vortex grenade she'd already tossed at her enemies.

“Woah-ho-ho! That looks like fun, where's my popcorn?” he'd laughed, awed by her skill.

So now as he lay broken on the floor, battered presumably beyond repair and with Sundance destroyed, Cayde couldn't help turning his faltering optics towards Calissa as she burst into the room like some avenging Valkyrie. Duel gunshot rung out, rattling his short circuiting audio. Milliseconds later Cayde clenched what was left of his jaw as a bullet ripped through his shoulder, at the same moment that traitorous bastard Uldren yelled out in pain as Calissa's shot evidently found it's mark. Cayde chuckled through the pain. He'd told that son of a bitch his partner would be with them any second and she'd come. For him. He hadn't doubted her, but it was still a relief; even if he was basically scrap metal barely hanging on to life. Through the pain that was making his head fuzzy, Cayde could hear footsteps... one set running away as another hurried closer. A flash of purple filled his failing vision, the metal floor vibrating with the vortex grenade Calissa had tossed which almost drowned out the hydraulic sound of a door hissing shut, before his warlock crashed to her knees beside him.

“How's... how's my hair?” Cayde joked, forcing his failing optics to focus on her.

Calissa summoned her ghost who hovered over him frantically analysing the damage, whilst she ripped off her helmet and gloves. Tears were unexpectedly glistening in her turquoise eyes, as her warm fingers slipped under his hood and gently stroked along a surprisingly intact section of his plating. Cayde was almost shocked to see she was so bothered by his state; he'd figured they were friends but hadn't thought she cared so much about him.

“Think we might need to find you a comb,” she replied, a wavering smile on her lilac lips.

“This... this isn't on you sweetheart,” Cayde muttered, the endearment slipping out without thought.

Her free hand caressed the still intact side of his face, a tear rolling down her cheek before another set of footsteps could be heard. A moment later Petra came hazily into view, her ghost joining the one already hovering over him whilst the two women shared look, before the former corsair's gaze fell to him and her gloved hand settled lightly on his scorched chest.

“We're getting you out of here,” Petra stated, resolutely.

“Just hang on a little longer for us, okay?” Calissa added, her thumb stroking his dented cheek.

“For two beautiful women... I'll do my best,” Cayde mumbled, before everything went dark.


	3. Chapter 3

Cayde swam in and out of consciousness, his optics shot but his auditory system still able to hear snippets of Ikora and Zavala arguing about what retribution should happen... if any... whilst Amanda and Banshee talked soothingly as they tried to repair his broken body. He knew it was a small miracle he was still clinging on to life without Sundance but somehow he was, even if just being awake was beyond painful; his metal chassis cracked and twisted, his casing dented or missing, whilst electrical shocks ripped through his badly damaged wiring at sporadic intervals. However, the sound of _her_ voice was easy enough to focus on, the growl in Calissa's normally soft tone impossible not to hone in on as she snarled:

“That son of bitch is mine!”

“Calissa...” Zavala started.

“You're not my vanguard,” she snapped.

“But I am,” Ikora stated sharply, before her tone softened: “And you go with my blessing.”

The announcement wasn't a surprise to Cayde; despite her cool facade, the warlock vanguard was fiercely protective and loyal to those she deemed worthy of her time. However, he still couldn't shake the strange feeling hearing Calissa so furious on his behalf had caused. He really hadn't known that she cared _that_ much about him, and it was just typical he was currently stuck immobile on a cot whilst two of his friends tried to mend what they could of his ruined body. However, as touched as he was that Calissa cared enough about him that she wanted to avenge his attempted murder, Cayde was also worried for his warlock. He didn't want her getting injured or worse on his behalf.

“Cali...” he called, static making his voice crackle.

“Oh, you must have taken more damage to that thick skull of yours if you think you can get away with shortening my name,” she stated, her voice gentle once again.

A moment later, a warm hand lightly cupped the mostly intact side of his face and despite the pain and discomfort he was in, Cayde relished the feeling. He tilted his head, the only movement he was afforded thanks to the damage he'd sustained, and practically nuzzled into Calissa's palm; wishing he could see her beautiful face. There was a murmur of noise as the others left the room, granting them unexpected privacy for a moment that suddenly felt both charged and weighted.

“Be careful out there,” Cayde rasped out, knowing he couldn't talk her out of it.

“There's only room for one reckless idiot in this partnership,” she teased, though her voice wavered. “And you've certainly perfected your role.”

“It's part of my charm,” he joked, mustering a smile for her. “Give 'em hell.”

Calissa huffed a laugh, her breath ghosting over his face before her soft lips unexpectedly pressed gently to ragged edge of his damaged cheek. “You got it, Hot Shot.”

“Come back,” Cayde murmured, his circuits thrumming with anxiety as he decided to take another risk. “... to me.”

To his surprise, Calissa brushed her lips lightly against his metal mouth plates before whispering: “Always.”


	4. Chapter 4

He knew it wasn't really in Amanda's sphere of work, but there was no one else he trusted to do it. So whilst Calissa was off tracking down Uldren's barons, Cayde commissioned their friend to make his warlock a bond; fashioned in the iridescent purples and silvers the awoken liked, and emblazoned with his trademark Ace of Spaces. His mostly repaired hands shook once he held the finished armband, the digits still stiff and somewhat uncooperative as he traced the emblem with his metal fingers. Cayde knew it'd make a statement. It was essentially a declaration of his feelings after all, even though he hadn't seen Calissa since that feather-light kiss she'd given him. It had been weeks without any news from her, but Cayde had faith in his warlock; she'd promised she was coming back and he believed in her.

Still his mechanical heart beat a little faster, making his glitching electronic nerves tingle almost uncomfortably, when Amanda sent one of her mechanics to tell him Calissa's ship had unexpectedly docked at the Tower. Cayde limped down to the hanger as fast as he could, pointedly ignoring the sympathetic looks other guardians gave him as he passed; Amanda and Banshee had done the best they could when they'd patched him up but they weren't miracle workers, and without Sundance, Cayde knew he was lucky to still be alive and mostly functioning. That didn't mean he wasn't worried about Calissa's reaction. Despite Amanda and Banshee's best efforts his plating was still dented and scratched, his repaired chassis and exoskeleton felt stiff, whilst his rewired nervous system was uncooperative at best. However, he did look and function better than the last time Calissa had seen him, which was a thought Cayde clung to as he tried to look casual about leaning against a crate waiting for her to notice him. Which happened almost immediately.

Cutting herself off mid-sentence, Calissa paused her conversation with Amanda; her stunning turquoise eyes sweeping over his frame before she rushed to him. A grunt of discomfort slipped out of his mouth plates as she collided with with, but when Calissa startled and moved to pull away from him, Cayde wrapped his arms securely around her waist to keep her close. He hadn't expected his warlock to practically melt into him then, and he buried his scarred face against her violet hair as she hugged him back.

“Are you staying long?” he asked, not relinquishing his hold on her.

“I can't,” she replied, pulling back just far enough to look at him. “There's three barons left to deal with... I'll be leaving as soon as I'm resupplied.”

Cayde nodded in understanding. Traveller forbid, if their roles were reversed, he wouldn't be able to rest knowing the people who'd hurt her were still breathing. It was humbling to think she felt the same, and if the way she reached up to gently cradle his battered face in her hands was anything to go by, their fleeting kiss had meant something more to her as well. So without fully letting go of her, Cayde reached for the pouch strapped to the back of his belt... hidden from view by his hunter cape... before holding out the exquisitely crafted warlock bond for Calissa's inspection. It wasn't just a thing of beauty or a declaration of his feelings for the awoken, he'd had it modified to significantly boost her recovery rate out on the field. To Cayde's surprise, he noticed tears unexpectedly pooling in his warlock's eyes as her gloved fingers lightly traced the armband.

“Hey...” he soothed, reaching up to carefully brush a tear from her cheek with his metal knuckle. “Take me with you.”

Calissa huffed a watery sounding laugh. “This certainly gives 'wearing your heart on your sleeve' a whole new meaning...”

Before Cayde could even question what she meant, his warlock leant forward and pressed her soft lips to his mouth plates. He let his optics dim, simply savouring to feeling of Calissa being so close, until there was a chorus of whoops and cheers along with several wolf whistles; he'd forgotten they weren't alone in the hanger. Chuckling, Cayde broke the kiss and pulled her into a tight hug.

“Guess the cat's out of the bag now,” he joked, trying to hide his sudden nerves.

She squeezed him gently in return as she laughed: “To the surprise of no-one but Zavala, I'm sure.”


End file.
